As Abby writes, President Bush has nominated Ann Dunwoody to be the nation's first female four-start general. But it's important to view women's place in the Bush era military within a larger context. As our friend Spencer Ackerman points out today at his new blog home, a disproportionate number of women were the victims of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" last year. While women make up just 14 percent of the armed services, they were 46 percent of those discharged under the rule, which prevents openly gay Americans from serving in the military. A total of 627 people were discharged under DADT in 2007.
The conduct of the Iraq war has also ill-treated many thousands of American servicewomen. Today an American female soldier is more likely to be raped by a fellow-American service member than killed by enemy fire. Veterans hospitals are reporting that as many as 40 percent of their female patients were sexually assaulted during their service. And here at home, more than 100 high school-aged women were sexually assaulted or raped by male military recruiters since Sept. 11, 2001. It's a record of shame.
On a lighter note, do visit Spencer at firedoglake. He's got the best tag line ever: National Security. Iraq. Punk Rock. Real Talk.
--Dana Goldstein
